My brother has 20" of snow on a 5/12 roof in Maryland, and rain has been forecasted for Tuesday.
Is the greatest danger from snow weight or from ice damming?
What would be the best strategy for the next 24 hours?
Thank you very much in advance.
Jutta Gibb
A good snow rake, for sure.
Wet snow. Super heavy. Shovel, or roof rake is a good idea.
If he can clear the two feet nearest the edge it will prevent most of the damming. They make snow rakes to pull the snow off safely. Of course. store may be sold out already.
I'm in Maryland, NW of Baltimore.
We had 30" of snow last night, but looking at my n'bors' townhouses, they have only about 5" of snow on them. Maybe too much hot air in the attic? Some of the snow is falling off the trees too.
The pictch is about 7-8/20 which is 4.2 to 4.8 over 12. I guess there are no roofs that are 4.2/12, so maybe it's 4 or 5. Not much different from your brother's.
Is he susceptible to ice dams?
He could go in the attic and maybe get an idea. Is any part of the roof sagging?
I havent' done this but maybe hit the roof pretty hard with a baseball bat and get some of the snow to slide off.
Worry about the north side of the house. I realize I'm looking at the south side, or east and west sides, of my n'bors. I can't see any north sides but I know they get less sun and melt slower.
Others have suggested a snow rake, but you didn't mention how many stories the has. I use a snow rake on my garage overhang, but there is no way I can reach the roof on the main part of the house.
I do not suggest using a snow rake while on a ladder.
Hopefully, the roof system is such that the ice damming issue was taken into account when the roof was put on. Proper insulation, ice shield, attic venting, etc. If you are concerned about ice dams, you could fill some stockings or pantyhose with rock salt and place them along the edge of the roof to melt some snow and give the water a place to run off.
You could also get some ice melt wires and spread them on the edge of the roof. Ideally, they work best when installed properly *before* it snows, but they should help prevent ice dams a little if you can get them to melt down and lay along the edge of the roof.
Good luck!
The accumulated snow will want to trap additional moisture.
***If*** he (or his designated grunt) is physically fit, try to clear "as much as he can reach COMFORTABLY" from a ladder at the drip line. Ensure the gutters are clear of debris/packed snow as that will help keep water (from rain and snow melt) from backing up UNDER the lowest courses of shingles (assuming an asphalt shingled roof). Likewise, make sure the downspouts are clean so water doesn't dam up inside them (and pull them -- or the gutters -- off the house).Remember that cardiac load when working with arms above head/shoulders is increased -- it's harder to lift a given weight of snow when your arms are *elevated* than when they are at your sides.
Also, recall that you don't have much mobility on a ladder. So, "twisting" to drop the snow off your rake/shovel will also put a lot of stress on your back.
[The *last* thing you want is a visit to ER (or morgue!) in the HOPE of avoiding a POSSIBLE roof failure.]Remember that shingles lap over each lower course. So don't try to "shovel" in the same way that you would when trying to SCRAPE a driveway clean -- you'll just lift the shingles and risk breaking them (cold/brittle).
By no means should climbing ON the roof be attempted. Too easy to end up in a snowbank (if you are lucky!)
Small sheet of thin plywood/masonite on a pole/2x2 will do in a pinch. Goal is to be able to get a little at a time off as moving a *lot* in that body position is strenuous.
Wear gloves (think: blisters/splinters).
Many years ago I had about 2 - 3 feet of snow-drift on a large section of my roof, that I managed to clear by climbing up and using my boots to break away large chunks and slide them off the edge, it proved easier than shovelling. Now I own a snow rake. The 3 6 foot sections plus my height allows me to get to my second story edges. The weight and ice-dam situations are both a worry. Good luck.
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May have better luck with snow rakes, buying online and have it shipped in. Of course, with Storm Jonas, the online places may well be sold out, also.
In Alaska, they use artillery shells launched from a Howitzer. And they drop bags of explosive from a helicopter. Perhaps you can use these techniques at home?
- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .
A cherry picker with a snow plow blade on the bottom of the bucket!
OR
Santa Claus and his reindeer with a snow plow blade on the bottom of the sleigh.
OR
A remote controlled flying snow blower with GPS.
OR
Hydraulic cylinders that can flip the roof upside down.
Use a drone to drag a snow rake.
It's dark here now. I should have suggested before, but he can just tie a 2 or 3 foot stick to a rope or a heavy string and throw it on the roof, then pull it off. That will start the snow coming off.
Maybe small fire crackers thrown up onto roof to cause mini avalanche? Better than having a caved in roof.
I removed the text that Micky rudely center posted.
Well, that's worth a try. I doubt that small fire crackers will do much on a shingled roof. Got to be some thing that can be thrown onto the roof, and pulled off with an (already atached) rope. Lets think on this for a while. What throws, and then drags snow?
This is really cool - no pun intended.
Use a length of string or wire.
It goes without saying* but if you're working off a ladder, moving the snow directly above you isn't a good idea.
Avalanche control? How not to do it:
Story from March 2014. But, still interesting.
Got to be spooky, playing in the yard and then get burried by avalanche.
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